The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-05-20

session Of Congress one has to elbow
his way through and police are fre-
quently required 10 keep clear for pc
destrians are as empty as air. 0cca-
sionally one hears the voice Of clerk
or laborer, and very seldom the tread
Of bride aud groom, but not often.
As ususl during The long recess some
improvements are going on beside the
exterior work, which haI been pro-
crossing for many years. The holes
for the extra elevators on the House
and Senate sides have been msdL
through the floors, and inside Of a
couple Of months t passenger 'p.ifts"
will be in readiness for ope fation,
although they will not be run till Con-
gress meets. The passenger elevators
which have been in use for many
years on either sice Of the Capitol
are not being run nov because
there Is nc one to ride in
them. The elevators which are now
being placed in the Capitol are 10.
Gated at the southeast end Of the Sem
ate aide and the northeast end of the
House side. That for the Senate is to be
used for the common psople, " lille the
one already in use is to be reserved
exclusively for the Senators, who have
become tired Of waiting for the crowd
when drink or paper is wanted in
a committee room. 1t is the design to
keep this elevator In operation, 30 that
a Senator can be lifted 10 his desired
floor with but q moments delay.
There 10 vast deal OF difference
between the associations OF Senators
and Representatives. The former do
not want to affiliate with their con-
stituents, es rule, not even 30 far as
to ride in tie elevator with them, and
they are perplexed beyond measure
when going from one floor to the other
II they must suffer the delay of few
seconds opaccommodate one OF the
common herd" while the Repl essen.
sentative Is continually going about
with constituents, and their extra
elevator is to be used, and also the
old one, to lift all classes. Hereafter
1t will be necessary for Senators to
have a personal electric bell call when
when they approf CHI the elevator and
desire its immediate and exclusive
use. They will by general and open
arrangement have its exclusive and
immediate use.
The corridors about the document
rooms OF both houses are today piled
high with documents. There are fully
three car loads OF documents sacked,
addressed and heaped up ready for the
mails, while not half OF them have
been gotten out. The bound copies of
the Congressional Record have not vet
been prepared and sent Up from the
Government Printing Office. When
they are ready there will be more car
loads OF documents to mail. Thess are
the most voluminous documents sent
out from Congress, not excepting the
agricultural reports, which I'll several
mail cars. Most Of the documents be-
ing clipped out today are The avs of
the last Congress. Each Senator and
Representative gets bound copy for
himself and some unbound copies for
his constituents. All the lawye rs want
them, yet very few can get them.
New carpets will be put In the COM
mitteo rooms OF both the Senate and
House, and also on the hoors of the |
two halls Of these houses. The Senal |
chamber usually gets the mos, delicate
colors, while the hall OF the House of |
Representatives 10 commonly Gov
cred by hashy or bright colors. It
costs several thousand dollars to
carpet the halla and committee rooms
at the capitol every two years,
which Ia always done. The carpets on
the floors Of the two houses are al
ways well worn when taken up, but
thoee In some OF the committee rooms
are in good order. The old carp cts are |
sold at auction or to second hand
dealer-when not picked up by EN-.
ployes. just now there lie a baroness
about the Capitol. The floors are
everywhere bare. Chairs are piled
up, and with desks and cuspidores
make confusion. The new goods are
put down the last thing before CON-
gress convenes, 80 as to present a
cheerful appearance.
The offices OF the principal Off
OF. the two houses are open about
three hours day now. Those most
frequented are tue Sergeant et-Arms,
where salaries are paid. The law
makers and employees out Of the city
get their NOR ey by draf mailed them.
The postoffices are open, but princi-
pally for the purpose OF forwarding
mails and receiving documents. Only
half dozen Senators and about twics
as many Representatives are in the
city.
Entering the Capitol at this time
one sees ON the lower h1ors, where
nearly all work at this time Ia done, a
few men pushing trucks with rubber
covered wheels silently about, carry
ing documents in and out of the
building; very few clerks In the
document rooms aud postoflices; the
OF the pie woman,
with the attendant doing crocheting,
aud the policemen at the doors re.
posing on high back chairs. On the
doors where the two Ihouses are To-
Gated he will see q telegraph office
open, the empty halls OF the two
houses and the Congressional library,
probably few visitors standing
around, an occasional messenger with
! message to an officer of the place,
but he will hear scarcely a word
Ipoken or audible sound OF any kind